Kaapsehoop [10:16]
Kaapsehoop (Kaapschehoop) was established in 1882 during the then Eastern Transvaal (now Mpumalanga) gold rush. It was a thriving village until gold was discovered on the Witwatersrand. The village lay dormant for many years. It was however a favourite picnic spot for those living close by and who dared to negotiate the bad winding sand road that led up the escarpement that overlooks the De kaap Valley. The growing demand for timber soon saw grasslands turned into plantations. The road to Kaapsehoop was tared from Nelspruit through to Ngodwana. This led to the revival of the village which is today a popular tourist attraction. There are a number of hiking trails, both day and overnight. A walk to the edge of the escarpement is not to be missed. Sad to say many of the original buildings are no more. Some having been turned into guest houses, others are unfortunately fast deterioating. The interesting graveyard has unfortunately been damaged and many of the graves lost. It is however heartening to note that a number of Kaapsehoop residents have gone to great effort and expense to preserve the ambiance of the village which can be seen in design of the newly constructed homes and guest houses. It would be great if those few original remaining bulidings could be restored (not altered). I have over a number of years recorded video footage of Kaapsehoop. Some of the footage collected I've used as an intro to this video. Visitors to Kaapsehoop will note how the village has ...
Tags: Kaapsehoop, Village, Mpumalanga, South Africa, Nature, Beauty, Green Earth, horse, wild, trails, hikes, plantation, Blue Swallow, Waterfall, Stream, Historty, Gold, Gold Rush, 1882, Timber, Walk, Peaceful, Escarpement, Hike, Accommodation, Scenery, Drive,